armourer
(ˈɑːmərə(r))
Forms: 4–5 armurer, 5 -erer, 5–9 -orer, 7– -ourer.
[a. AFr. armurer, OF. -urier, -eurier, f. armeüre armour n.: see -er1.]
1. A maker of armour; in mod. use, a manufacturer of arms.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy v. 1588 Armurers & Arowsmythis. c 1450 Pol. Rel. & L. Poems 19 Yff hit stoode that no wer ware, loste were the craffte of Armoreres. 1598 Stow Surv. (ed. Strype 1754) II. v. xii. 296/1 The society or company of the Armourers. a 1744 Pope (J.) When arm'rers temper in the ford The keen-edg'd pole-ax. 1825 T. Jefferson Autobiog. Wks. 1859 I. 98 Such weapons as they could find in armorers' shops. 1859 Tennyson Enid 283 At this the armourer..Came forward with the helmet yet in hand. |
2. One who equipped men-at-arms in their mail. Also fig. Obs. exc. Hist.
| c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1649 Faste the Armurers also With fyle and hamer prikynge to and fro. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, iv. Cho. 12 The Armourers accomplishing the Knights. 1606 ― Ant. & Cl. iv. iv. 7 Thou art The Armourer of my heart. 1605 Camden Rem. 190 His armorer put on his backe-peece before, and his breast-plate behinde. |
3. An official who has charge of the arms of a ship, regiment, etc.
| 1753 in Chambers Cycl. Supp. 1758 J. Blake Mar. Syst. 23 Armourers and sail-makers shall be entered..among the crews. 1835 Sir J. Ross N.-W. Passage iii. 53 The engineers and armourers were still employed on the engine. 1844 Regul. & Ord. Army 148 The Serjeant-Armourer is responsible that the Portable Forge and Chest of Tools be kept in a serviceable state. |
¶ By confusion for armure, armour n.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. ii. vi. 51 Ne blode yshed by egre hate ne hadde nat deied ȝit armurers. |